Last September, I bought 840 shares in the Lloyds TSB group. Eight hours later I realised I had bought ordinary shares, so I asked for them to be made into Isa shares. Lloyds sent me an Isa application form which I sent back on 28 November. After many phone calls and letters, I don't know if the shares have been transferred to the Isa. I have since bought 1,188 Isa shares in Lloyds but I can find no trace of a share certificate. DS, Loughborough

There is no such category as "Isa shares". They are ordinary shares which you can put into an Isa account – you cannot just transfer. They have to be sold, the money put into the Isa and the shares bought back. Lloyds says there were delays in receiving the Isa application form and it did not receive your share certificate until 16 March when it immediately bought the new shares within the Isa. But you wrote to Lloyds 10 times and telephoned eight times and still didn't know where you stood. You didn't send in the share certificate until March because you didn't know that was what you had to do until you were told on 8 February to complete the necessary form. Lloyds bought your second tranche of shares within the Isa from the start, and you do not get share certificates with Isas.

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